Fox Trot
by Queer Ki
Summary: He was scared. And then he was strong. AU. Your typical smarter&stronger!Naruto, with a new teacher in his younger years and an added twist.
1. Red: The Most Annoying Color

_**AN:** This AN is for information about the next chapters, things you might like to know and answering anonymous reviews. It is the only AN in the whole story, so make sure to check back on it because it changes often! We also often put pointless trivia here as well.  
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_-Updates are on Mondays, Fridays, and Wednesdays. Ideally, there are three updates a week but it seems that's dwindled down to one.  
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_-This is an AU. Not everything will be canon; most things will be completely different from canon. (Especially dialogue.)_

_-Pairing selections have been decided! Vote either on our profile or by answering in a review. The choices are NaruTen (NarutoxTenten), NaruHina (NarutoxHinata), NaruKaka (NarutoxKakashi), NaruSasu (NarutoxSasuke), and NaruKiba (NarutoxKiba)  
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_-It's over 9000! That's right, folks! Queer and Ki have broken the nine-thousand word line AND the ten-thousand word line AT THE SAME TIME. Whoop!_

_-Ten reviews! WooooooHOOOOOOOOO!_

-Hsjsv_: Thank you! We never believed someone would consider our little brainchild a good fanfiction! Also, I'll make sure that when Ki gets back online that he goes and reads/favorites some nice NaruTen, as that seems to be the most popular choice of pairing! Thanks again for reviewing! ~Q.  
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_-Sorry, everyone! All your PMs make us feel terrible about not updating as much as we should. There will be more chapters but... Things have gotten complicated between Queer and I. Worry not, hm? Thanks for all of your continued support! ~気  
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The mister with the red mask was back again this time.

Naruto almost considered pulling his pants down and flashing him, but he didn't really know the guy except for his mask. He could be - and probably was - a pervert, taking into account the cover of the book he was always reading. It was one Naruto had seen in the market and had read a few pages of. (It was kinda boring but obvious-perverts like the him might like it.)

The blonde frowned, his blue eyes troubled. Today had not been a good day. Another shopkeeper had gotten angry when he looked at the girl next to him and smiled. Apparently, she must have been his daughter and he was afraid of her being 'defiled by that demon brat!' and had tried to bring a conveniently placed axe down on Naruto's defenseless body. (He would trap a belonging of that jerk's to make up for the scare.)

Then, as if a scene from one of those beaten-up books he used to read at the orphanage, the red-lined-kitty masked guy showed up and blocked it. He grabbed the man by the arm and disappeared again.

_Dammit, _was all Naruto could think. _He just stopped my excuse to bring some serious hurt to that meany. He's lucky._ (Though, unbeknown to Naruto, the man did _not_ get off lucky and was tortured for several hours before being sent home and living the rest of his life afraid of kittens. Kittens with red lines, to be exact.)

Frustrated that those people in masks _always _took away the fun, Naruto decided to confront the one outside his window. Grabbing a piece of paper and a pencil, he quickly scribbled down some characters before folding it into a paper plane and tossing it out his window. To his untrained eye, it was almost as if it disappeared. But if he slowed it down enough in his mind, he could _just_ see a flash of silver.

Naruto sat on his bed and awaited a reply. A light _ping _against his window and Naruto scrambled over to the sill. Jutting perfectly out - wow, Red _was_ a badass ninja - was a better-folded airplane. Flattening it out, in the floaty symbols were the most aloof words he had ever read.

_**It would be bad for my reputation if you got hurt on my watch, little fox. **_

Scrunching his face up, Naruto growled and scribbled a response and sent it back out, albeit more fiercely this time. (The way Red caught that airplane so fast was still _badass_.)

_Ping._

_**Such dirty words from such a tiny boy. Surely they don't teach you such foul language in school?**_

_Ping._

_**You're going to 'teach me a lesson'? I hope it's in something unrelated to smarts, because you seem to be failing in that category.**_

_Ping._

_**Such serious threats. I hope I haven't angered you, little kit.**_

_Ping._

_**I am not a pervert, boy. And you're much too young to attract my interest. Your petty jabs do nothing.**_

Suffice to say, Naruto did not like Red very much the rest of the day.

* * *

><p>'Thief! <em>Thief<em>!'

'I'm not-'

'Yes you are! Thief, _thief_!'

Naruto froze as the crowd gathered around him, frowning and looking at them with _those eyes_. The shop keeper was tearing at his pockets, trying to prove that Naruto was - in fact - a thief.

Angry that he had not found anything (except for Naruto's wallet, which the guy kept and the blonde would have objected to if he was not currently fearing for his life) the man swung his head from side to side.

'Where is it?'

'Where-is-what-sir-I-don't-understand-'

'Where is it, you thief! I know you took some of my precious merchandise!' And then the blows started raining down and _where were the masked people_? Naruto thought about calling out, but he refrained when he realized that this was _his chance_.

Shouting loudly with a force he had never felt, he threw the people on top of him off and went for the man that had initiated the attack. Knowing not to kill him - lest he get in trouble - Naruto smashed him into the ground with his shoulder, the speed behind the hit making up for his lack of build.

One down, another came lumbering towards him, their heavy weight setting them off. Making a split second decision, Naruto tripped him and launched himself off the man's large belly, giving a kick to the jaw of another attacker.

Someone underneath Naruto, however, grabbed him by the ankle while he was still in the air and slammed him to the ground. Whimpering and with a rib cracked, Naruto put on his best 'angry' face and glared at the man approaching him with a large and formidable-looking knife.

The man wore a Konoha hitai-ate and smiled devilishly. Raising his arm high above a held-down Naruto, he disappeared.

_Thank goodness..._

The jeering crowd froze as the man that had been brave enough to kill the boy vanished. Someone else - who was obviously lacking in brain power - charged towards Naruto from the back of the gathering before he too became nothing but air. The people closest to Naruto screamed and ran, dropping him as they fled. Everyone spread into separate directions as the actuality that _they had just broke the rule_ came to their minds.

Naruto coughed heavily and flinched as the motion caused the broken bone to move. Strong arms scooped him up against a hard chest and he was being whisked away.

* * *

><p>As he awoke, the first thing he could think was 'I was naked.<em>'<em>

Indeed, he had been. Someone had stripped him of his clothes and put him in pyjamas. The thought of some pervert slowly undressing him... Naruto shuddered.

'Oh, so you're up.'

Naruto fainted.

* * *

><p>'You know, you could at least stay awake long enough to tell me if you're okay.'<p>

'Mnnhmn 'kay.'

'Wonderful.' Cracking an eye open long enough to see who he was speaking with, Naruto's body jerked up as he stared.

'Red!'

'Yo.'

'What are you...' Faint images of a crowd and people disappearing swam to the forefront of his mind. He gripped his hands in his yellow hair as he tried to remember. 'Was I... In a fight?'

'Yep. Broke a rib.'

'Mmm,' was all Naruto could say before he sunk back onto his beaten pillow. 'How long have I... Been asleep?'

'Only six hours. And then you fainted. So six and a half hours,' said Red. Nodding slightly, Naruto's face pulled into a grimace as he shifted. 'You broke a rib.'

'Yeah, you said. Six hours is usually enough for having three broken. I've just been sleeping and haven't got use to the feel.'

Red's eyes widened slightly but he nodded. _Why would he have three ribs broken?_ And then he remembered _who_ this kid was. 'Right.'

Rolling his shoulders, Naruto dragged himself out of bed and walked on unsteady legs to his kitchen. Blindly flicking on the rickety bulb and preparing some ramen, he heard Red walk into his living room and turn on the tiny telly.

Padding over next to Red he absently watched the news with him for the three minutes it took for his meal to cook before walking back into the kitchen, Red at his heels.

'Can I get you something? Milk? Water? Spit?'

'Ha. Milk is fine.' Naruto nodded and grabbed the milk carton from his fridge and handed it to Red before pointing at the cabinet holding the glasses. He then grabbed some chopsticks, crossing back into the small living room and sitting himself on the lumpy couch. Red glanced down at the Use By date. 'This milk is spoilt.'

'Yeah? Pour it down the sink. I'll get some more later.' Red nodded and tossed the liquid down the sink before throwing the container into the bin. He turned on the tap and filled his cup with water. 'Unless you have a cast-iron stomach, I suggest you use the filtered water in the fridge.'

Red's eyes bulged again. Sighing, he dumped out the water and put the glass back where it had been before stalking back into the kitchen to find his charge finished with his food. Naruto was watching the news, an impassive look on his face. Glancing to the set, Red watched the story.

_'I am live with Fuka Hage, who says he found a thief robbing his stall before turning into a monster!'_

_'That's right, sir. I was minding my own business before a blonde brat comes up and steals some of my stuff _right in front of my face_! I tried to ask him nicely to give it back but he only said, 'Hell no! You old bastard!' before trying to run off. Luckily, a group of civilians came to my aid and stopped him. I searched him softly while he continued to insult me. He began attacking me and the other villagers viciously but we eventually got him subdued. Suddenly, a few people helping me disappeared while the boy grinned! Fearing for my safety I ran away!'_

_'Can you tell me what the monster stole?'_

_'Um... Uh... Some... Apples! He stole some apples!'_

'Tch,' Naruto muttered while switching off the television. 'What a load of garbage.'

'Aren't you only seven? That's much too early to start acting so pessimistic.' Naruto swung his head around and glared straight into Red's mask's eye holes. He pointed a thumb to himself.

'I'm going to be a ninja. It's never too early to be pessimistic... Whatever that means.'


	2. Training Montage!

Grinning, Naruto walked straight into the market. No heads turned to glare at him. _Henge no Jutsu: success._

The thing that Naruto liked about training to become a ninja was stuff like this. Cloaking his appearance so that no one could tell it was him: genius. The best part was that all he had to do was imagine one of the countless faces he'd seen in his life. So, even if it malfunctioned and he ended up not looking exactly like the mental image, it only helped him further!

Ah, sometimes he was impressed with his own smarts!

A hand clasped onto his shoulder with the thumb on his back and the pinkie digging into his front. Naruto nodded imperceptibly.

'What are you doing, kit?'

'Going to get milk and some vegetables. If you weren't always hard-pressing me about my health and drinking _my_ milk I wouldn't have to be here.'

The frail old lady behind him shrugged. 'Fair enough. Next time, work on the eyebrows; they look a bit thin.'

* * *

><p>Naruto huffed and puffed, collapsing to the ground. Five of six: not bad. Leaves rustled. He automatically threw a kunai to hit whoever was watching him. 'Who is it?'<p>

A girl in a light brown deer-skin jacket and navypurpleblue hair came into view, shock written all over her face. Naruto's eyebrows shot up but he grinned widely. 'Hinata-chan!'

'H-hi.'

'What are you doing, Hinata?' Naruto frowned. 'Those bastards weren't picking on you again, were they?'

Hinata squeaked when he said 'bastards' but shook her head. 'N-no...'

'Then why are you here?' Naruto's head tilted to the side. 'Do you wanna train together?' Hinata squeaked again and Naruto took that for a yes. 'Alright!'

The blonde hopped up and dusted off the seat of his pants, smiling at his companion. As he did so he recalled what Red-sensei had been talking about with him in concern to the approach of his third try at the Genin exams, the Hyuuga's abilities, and Red's own suspicions. 'Before we start, can you do something for me?' Hinata nodded. 'Cool. Can you please activate your Byakugan?'

'B-Byakugan,' she whispered. Her completely white eyes gained a resemblance of a pupil, the area in the middle becoming more pronounced. Thick and ropey veins spread from either corner of her eyes, stretching towards her temples and cheek bones.

'Good. Okay, watch this. Right. _Bunshin no Jutsu_!' he shouted. Hinata watched in awe as a fearsome amount of chakra was expelled from Naruto's body. A floppy version of himself appeared before collapsing and becoming a plume of smoke. 'Was there anything?'

'Um...' Hinata paused. _Should she tell him...?_ 'You... Ah...'

'You can tell me, Hinata! I won't think bad of you!'

'Y-you released too much chakra for the jutsu...' she murmured. Naruto nodded.

'Red-sensei was right... Alright! Tell me when I get closer, 'kay?'

'O-okay, Naruto-kun.'

'_Bunshin no Jutsu_!'

'L-less...'

'_Bunshin no Jutsu_!'

'M-more...'

'_Bunshin no Jutsu_!'

'Mo-ore...'

* * *

><p>Naruto knocked the left side of his door, kicked the bottom right, and turned the knob. The door opened easily, and he stepped into the foyer and removed his shoes. He walked into the kitchen and poured himself a glass of whatever puree Red has decided to force-feed him this time.<p>

Since that fateful day five years ago, he had been training with Red pretty much every day and doing whatever he was told. Thus, when Red said that his creations would 'super charge you and make you into a SUPER NINJA!' he nodded obediently and drank it all down.

And puked it up not soon after.

Over the years, Red's drinks had gotten far better, and they truly did wonders combined with healthy meals for his concentration and stamina. Though, he had to admit, he did occasionally binge on ramen when Red was away. Yellow Cat, Blue Bird, Green Dog, and Droopy Rabbit Red only laughed when threatened by Red.

Naruto didn't even jump when a masked-man appeared next to him.

'Honestly, Red-san. I'm getting tired of you. Where's Blue Bird and Green Dog? Or even Yellow Monkey?' Naruto asked, pouting fiercely.

'Away on missions. I saw your progress.' Red answered.

Naruto's glum mood disappeared. 'Really? Am I going to be a great ninja?' Red paused and stroked his chin, as if deep in thought. After a moment of silence, Naruto smacked his supervisor on the arm. 'Thanks a lot!' he shouted with a smile as he stomped up the stairs to go to sleep.

Red shrugged and sighed, opening the door and keeping patrol on the blonde for the rest of the night.

* * *

><p>The next day at the Academy, Naruto gathered his courage and sat next to Kiba; very rarely did he ever sit with anyone. The brunette automatically stiffened and scowled, the red upside-down triangles on his face creasing.<p>

'What do you want, brat?'

'Let's practice our taijutsu together tonight.'

Whatever Kiba may have been expecting, it most certainly was not that.

'Why?'

'Because then we can both get the hand-to-hand combat training we need before the exam. It's beneficial for both of us,' Naruto explained. Kiba tilted his head to the side and considered it.

'All right. Training Field Six at five, 'kay?'

'Sure.'

* * *

><p>Exhausted, Kiba's slitted pupils widened in amazement at his combat partner. He thought that his stamina was amazing, but this kid...<p>

'Are you done, Kiba?'

'Y-yeah...' he wheezed. Naruto ran to a sack he had been carrying and brought out two bottles of water: one for himself and one for Kiba.

'Thanks, Kiba,' Naruto said as he finished taking a long drought from his bottle. 'You helped me with my speed a lot.'

Kiba shrugged. 'Thanks as well, I guess. You gave me a punching bag.'

Naruto grinned and then stuck out his tongue. 'What_ever_.'

* * *

><p>'I'm honored, but I don't understand why you think I'm smart.'<p>

'Well, you sort of hang back and analyze everything, don't you? There's gotta be some reasoning behind that.'

'I could just be lazy,' Shikamaru said with a pout, running his hands along his brown hair and patting the top of his short ponytail.

Naruto shrugged. 'Whatever. Let's play a game you like.'

Shikamaru's eyes lit up, however slightly. 'Sure...'

(Naruto ended up losing ten games of Shogi out of ten. But, he _did_ learn something from it. He swears.)

* * *

><p>On his way home from Training Field Six and his interlude with Shikamaru, Naruto passed by the lake. A child around his age sat there, staring at his reflection. The way he was so alone...<p>

Considering his options, Naruto almost went down to sit next to him.

But the kid's head snapped up and stared into Naruto's blue eyes, almost begging and almost disgusted that someone like the blonde would approach _him_.

Naruto snorted and continued doing what he knew he should do.

Walking down the green slope, he relaxed on the dock as well.

'What do you think you're doing?' Naruto didn't answer. 'Why are you sitting near me?' Naruto didn't answer. 'Fine then.'

After a few beats of silence, the raven-haired boy spared a glance to his companion. _Here I am, suffering in solitude and wishing that I could turn back time. Here I am, and he has the _gall _to sit with me like he understands-_

Sasuke's inner monologue came to an abrupt halt.

'How could you? You have...' Sasuke paused and thought on it. Never once had he seen someone come to any of the functions at the Academy for Naruto. Never once had someone picked him up from school. 'You...'

Naruto gave his signature grin.

Sasuke was speechless.

Naruto stood up and brushed off his pants, extending his hand for the other to take.

'No, thank you,' Sasuke heard himself say, though he knew he wanted to see this boy more, to know more of a fellow partner in alone-ness. And then a thought struck him. 'We never speak of this.'

'Of course not, teme. What do you think I am, some sort of idiot?'

'Yes.'

'Bastard!'

'Dobe.'

* * *

><p>'An Inuzaka?' Naruto nodded as he chopped onions. <em>He was a soon-to-be ninja and he wouldn't cry, dammit.<em>

'Yeah. He's pretty fast, so it gave me a lot of experience in real-life situations.'

Red nodded thoughtfully. 'Why not someone with better form?'

Naruto didn't miss a beat. 'You've already been working with me with that. Though I'm pretty bad,' he spared himself a laugh, 'I don't need double the same thing.'

'Good answer.'

'I try,' Naruto answered with a grin before sliding the diced vegetables into the stew and beginning to stir. 'You staying for dinner?'

'No, the Hokage is switching me off with Yellow. Give some fresh eyes to the scene.'

'Yellow Monkey?' Naruto questioned.

'One and only,' Red answered. Naruto nodded and went in search for some minced meat. Just because it was getting to the nitty-gritty in concern to the Genin exam didn't mean he needed Red here all the time.

Of course not.


	3. Butterflies and Cliffhangers

Naruto woke up with butterflies in his stomach.

Trudging down the stairs, he poured himself a glass of another of Red's concoctions and grabbed an energy bar. Opening the wrapper, a paper airplane was lying flat on its side against the food item. Naruto picked it up and unfolded it.

_Good luck, little fox._

_Can't see you off: mission._

_-Red_

Smiling brightly - and with a few of the insects in his digestive track exterminated - Naruto dispelled the genjutsu Red had cast on the bars and rolled his shoulders. Today would be a good day.

* * *

><p>Naruto landed a roundhouse kick on his opponent's shoulder and it collapsed into smoke.<p>

'Okay. Clone Technique.' Naruto nodded stiffly. _This was it. He could do it. The training with Hinata..._

'_Bunshin no Jutsu!_' he shouted. He knew that this had to be right, because he had tried his hardest and he could do it. He could do it.

The smoke cleared and Naruto's two copies...

Wobbled and fell over, erupting into twin clouds of failure.

'Fail,' Iruka said with a sad frown. He had seen Naruto's improvement, and yet to mess up at a time like this...

'C'mon, Iruka. He had near perfect marks for everything else, and he _did _make clones.'

'No, Mizuki. Two plausible clones are required to pass.'

'Iruka, surely-'

'No!' Iruka shouted before pinching the bridge of his nose. Naruto watched the brunette with pitiful eyes, willing him to change his mind. 'Good bye, Naruto.'

* * *

><p>As everyone swarmed to the list of passing ninja and squeals of delight were heard through the crowd of friends and family, Naruto sat on his swing and tried to stop himself from crying. He had tried so hard, put so much effort into it... Only to screw it up when it mattered most.<p>

Red-sensei would be so disappointed.

That was what made him so fearful of the villager's glares. Not the hate, not the anger: the disappointment. The disappointment that such an innocent boy could become something... Something awful. And now Red would look at him with those same eyes, though they would be hidden behind his mask. He had tried so hard... Only to fail.

Because he was a loser.

'Hey,' someone behind him said. Turning around on his swing, Kiba and Shikamaru gave him half-waves.

'Hinata's guardian would have pitched a fit if she wasn't with him,' Kiba explained. Naruto nodded. 'So... Did you pass?'

'No.'

'But... All of that work! Dude!'

'I'm sorry, Kiba,' Naruto sighed, casting his eyes down.

Kiba's hand clasped his shoulder. Naruto looked up. 'It doesn't matter. We'll train with you for _days_ so that you pass next time!' Naruto looked to Shikamaru, who shrugged.

'S'not like I've got anything else to do,' the boy muttered. Naruto felt a ghost of a smile pulling at his lips.

'Thanks, guys.'

* * *

><p>Naruto was on his way home when Mizuki intercepted him. When the man asked him to walk with him, Naruto could do nothing but comply.<p>

'You want me to... Get a scroll?'

'That's right. It's guarded in the Hokage's tower, and if you can get it: you pass.' Naruto thought it over.

'If it's guarded by a bunch of ninja - and the old geezer himself - why would I get it?'

'Because it's a final test,' Mizuki smoothly lied. 'It's for kids that have failed at least three times. Basically, it's a last resort for children that aren't as smart as others.' His white hair ruffled in the sudden, chilled breeze.

Naruto nodded slightly, knowing that he wasn't as intelligent as the rest of his peers. The sting of failing and the fear of Red's disappointment fresh on his mind. 'Alright. I'll do it.'

* * *

><p>Naruto couldn't believe how easy it was.<p>

A few of the ninjas he passed by were asleep, and an exploding tag around the corner of the room where the scroll was located attracted all ninja away from the perimeter. Surprisingly, the door was unlocked and he carefully searched for the correct scroll before grabbing it and heading to the forest.

On his way out of the tower, he ran into Sarutobi-sensei himself. But one Sexy no Jutsu later and he was home free.

Perhaps it was so easy because he was such a failure.

* * *

><p>As he reached the clearing, Naruto made a decision.<p>

He would learn at least one of these jutsus.

If he were pitiable enough to have to take such a simple test, he might as well do something that would help him later on.

Looking over those written, he mentally thanked Red for going over his characters with him, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to understand some of what the scroll was saying. But, still, he missed the kanji for 'Warning', despite having it drilled into his head several times. (Literally. Red had carved the symbols into his forehead.)

Pulling out a blank scroll from his sack, he opened it and quickly wrote down the jutsu's name, the required hand seals, and what exactly the jutsu _did_ for one of the two techniques he was deciding between. Storing it back in his bag, he looked over the hand seals for the other and nodded.

'_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!'

* * *

><p>When Red returned from his mission, he didn't expect to find a rally of ninja gathering to 'kill the Uzumaki brat!' He actually might have been concerned if not for the forced cry of rage that Mizuki was giving. Always one to believe in following a gut feeling, he followed the man to where ever he was heading.<p>

When Mizuki began heading in the direction of the forest, Red had a pretty good idea of where Naruto was.

* * *

><p>Panicked, Iruka headed towards the only place he knew Naruto would be.<p>

_Please, don't be hurt Naruto..._

* * *

><p>As Mizuki stopped, Red tensed.<p>

That orange-clad body...

* * *

><p>Iruka ran towards the fallen boy, so beaten and bruised. He cried in anguish as he went. Someone had come and had their way with Naruto and just <em>left<em> his body there. He was too late...

Cradling the blonde head in his arms, Iruka sobbed into his student's chest.

'I-Iruka-sensei...?

* * *

><p>The area surrounding Red erupted into smoke.<em><br>_

Immediately, he ran off into the opposite direction, towards a different section of the forest.

_Dammit, he knew he was being followed... How could I have not noticed the Shadow Clones?_

* * *

><p>Naruto frowned lightly. Here he was, working his butt off to pass this test and then Iruka had to come and sob all over him. <em>Honestly...<em> Free from his teacher's grip, Naruto asked what had been on his mind.

'So... Did I pass?'

'Pass what?'

'The make-up test...'

'Make-up test? Naruto, who put you up to this?' Iruka grabbed the front of the blonde's jacket in panic.

'It was-'

A kunai whistled past their faces, lodging itself forcefully into a tree behind them.

'Me.'


	4. Truths

Iruka stared in horror at his 'friend'.

'Mizuki! Why would you... Oh no...'

'Yes, Iruka,' Mizuki answered with a laugh. 'I killed two birds with one stone. Eliminating the fox brat _and_ defecting from the village.'

'Why would you betray your comrades like that?' Iruka shouted. Mizuki shrugged.

'It's an easy way to gain more power. Now, enough talk. Time for you two to die.'

Iruka fell into a fighting stance.

* * *

><p>Naruto couldn't believe it.<p>

_I've been duped? There wasn't a real test? _Naruto gasped as Mizuki hopped off the tree he was in and stalked towards a fallen Iruka. _I have to do something, something!_

Naruto had the odd feeling of being hurtled through time and space before being stabbed in the chest.

* * *

><p>Iruka tried to bring himself to get up, but his damaged limbs protested. Mizuki had sent a strange jutsu his way, and Iruka found himself rendered defenseless.<p>

Naruto had replaced the two of them using Kawarimi and was now about to battle head on with Mizuki, a kunai sticking out of his chest. The white-haired shinobi fell back into the trees before shouting the words Iruka never wanted to hear told to his student.

'Do you know why the villagers hate you?'

* * *

><p><em>Why the villagers hate me?<em> Naruto internally questioned. On the outside, he only looked up expectantly.

'Twelve years ago, the _Kyūbi no Yōko_ attacked this village for no apparent reason. Hundreds - thousands, even - died that night. But, the monster was vanquished. Do you know how?'

'It was sealed inside of me, wasn't it?'

Mizuki's eyes widened. 'How do you-'

'It's pretty freaking obvious. On my birthday, the village was saved and the Kyuubi disappeared. The villagers hate me. Combine those two and you come to the logical conclusion that something happened between me and the Kyuubi. Whenever I mold chakra, a seal appears on my tummy. So, of course, the Kyuubi was sealed inside of me. It explains everything.' Naruto finished with an air of triumph and a clap of his hands.

'Iruka hates you as well-'

'Of course he did!' Naruto snapped. 'The Kyuubi inside of me killed his parents. But Iruka knows that's not me.' He turned to Iruka and his teacher nodded. A fierce look came over the blonde's face as he steeled his resolve.

Mizuki paled.

'I'm Uzumaki Naruto. You hurt my sensei. Prepare to die.'

* * *

><p>When Naruto was finished with him, Mizuki wouldn't be getting up any time soon. Brushing himself off, Naruto ran over to Iruka, feeling for a pulse and giving a sigh of relief.<p>

'Naru... Naruto-kun...'

'Yeah, sensei?'

'Close your eyes...' Iruka said. Naruto nodded and did as he was told. A little rustling, and warm cloth was against his forehead. 'You can... Open your eyes...'

'Wh-wha-'

'You made... Bunshin...'

Naruto brought his hand up to touch the metal plate and felt the Konohagakure symbol carved into it. He teared up slightly before pulling Iruka into a bone-crushing hug. He sobbed into his teacher's shoulder, blubbering his thanks through his tears. Iruka merely laughed lightly and rubbed his back.

Naruto didn't notice Mizuki vanishing.

* * *

><p>There was a knock at Sarutobi's door.<p>

'Come in.' An ANBU member materialized in front the the Third's desk. 'You may remove your mask.'

A man with a scar running across his left eyelid was revealed. One of his eyes was a deep, soulless black. The one in the socket with the mark running down its outerior, however, was a bloody red with three tomoe standing dormant with a circle connecting them and a black dot in the middle. He had a navy-blue cloth mask drawn up over his mouth and nose, and his silver hair seemed to defy gravity: standing upright and hanging slightly to the his left.

'Ah, Kakashi. Have you decided?'

'Yes, Hokage-sama.'

'And?'

'I will...' Kakashi paused, repeating and finishing his sentence with more conviction. 'I will take Naruto as my student.'


	5. Rats and Rodents

When Haruno Sakura and Yamanaka Ino entered the classroom, the first thing they did was shriek in indignation.

'What are you doing here?'

'Stupid brat!'

Naruto shrugged and scratched the back of his head. Akimichi Chōji - whom he had been talking with - stayed quiet as well.

'This is for-'

'Graduating students!'

'I was going to say that, Billboard-Brow!'

'Shut up, Ino-pig!'

Their bickering continued and Naruto shrugged, nodding to Chōji and moving to sit in the closest available seat as the two girls' argument escalated. Ino's blonde ponytail was pulled viciously and her white eyes began to well up. She reached around and yanked Sakura's pink shoulder-length hair causing Sakura to cry out; her green eyes beginning to tear as well.

When Naruto sat down, he didn't really give it any thought, much too engrossed in the cat-fight.

Too bad he hadn't seen who he was unintentionally sitting next to.

'_Naruto_! What the _hell_ are you doing, sitting next to Sasuke-kun!'

'Shut up, Forehead Girl!'

'You shut up, Ino-pig!'

Naruto flinched and shrunk into his seat, as if it would make him invisible. Unfortunately, this was not the case and he ended up getting yanked up by Sakura. She had a fearsome look on her face, and had quit her fight with Ino _just_ to beat him up for sitting.

When she flung him across the room, Naruto collapsed as he hit the floor, sighing. Rolling his shoulders, he stood up and stalked over to Sasuke- who was currently being mentally molested by Sakura.

Naruto stood on the desk, glaring into Sasuke's eyes. Beneath the coldness, he could see the recognition of the time at the lake. Nodding, he went to withdraw: only to be knocked forward by someone behind him and cracking his skull against Sasuke's.

Something warm was on his mouth for a brief second and the last thing he heard before passing out was '_You stole Sasuke-kun's first kiss! You bastard!_'

* * *

><p>When he woke up, Naruto was in the Academy infirmary. The nurse was surprised to see him awake, checking her charts twice before staring at the blonde.<p>

'You're supposed to be unconscious for thirty minutes... It's only been four-'

'Oh! Don't worry, ma'am,' Naruto gave her a stunning grin, 'I heal fast.'

She nodded uncertainly. Naruto looked around before locating Sasuke, asleep on a cot. Pulling himself off the bed and stretching, he walked over to the boy to see if there was anything outlandishly wrong with him. Finding nothing but a large bruise on his forehead, Naruto shrugged and walked out, ignoring the calls of the nurse.

* * *

><p>When he walked back into the classroom, several of the females zeroed in on him. He shivered and took his seat. Iruka nodded and continued the list.<p>

'Team Seven: Haruno Sakura, Uzumaki Naruto, and Uchiha Sasuke.'

Naruto felt like throwing up.

* * *

><p>'Congratulations!'<p>

'Yeah! You too!'

'This is going to be so cool!'

'I know! I'm a ninja now!'

Naruto sighed as everyone filtered out. Hinata and Kiba had become Team Eight with Aburame Shino (short brown hair, shades and was some sort of bug freak. (Ick.)). Shikamaru had joined Ino and Chōji (slightly large, with spirals on his cheeks and spiky brown hair, but an overall kind guy) to form Team Ten.

Here he was, left with cute-but-annoying Sakura and just-annoying Sasuke. And some weird guy named Kakashi.

Naruto sighed again and gestured for Sakura to follow him to the nurse, a dubious plan beginning to form in his mind. As Sakura sat in a chair next to Sasuke, Naruto whispered 'Kage Bunshin no Jutsu' under his breath. Cloaking them in a gruesome Henge, he set his plan into motion.

* * *

><p>Kakashi was nervous. (Wait, no he wasn't. He was <em>the<em> Kakashi, dammit.)

Teaching an Uchiha and Naruto at the same time - he honestly couldn't remember the name of the other girl - would prove to be difficult. He could only hope that the scene at the lake would have some effect on them and they wouldn't bicker constantly.

He had previously thought that Sasuke would be the worst to deal with. The trauma of having all of his family slaughtered - save for the boy himself - would result in the Uchiha carrying massive emotional baggage.

And then, he got the file on Naruto.

_Set on fire at age four._

_Pitchfork driven through his chest at three._

_Continuous abuse from shopkeepers._

_Numerous altercations with villagers._

The list went on.

With such thoughts on his mind, Kakashi pushing the flap to the nurse's station aside.

And then he stopped.

Naruto, Sasuke, and what'sherface... Blood... So much blood... The nurse... How could-

The room erupted into smoke and Naruto grinned, laughing loudly. The girl was giggling into her hand and Sasuke was unconscious. 'I got you! You should have seen your face!'

As if it couldn't get any worse, a dry-board eraser fell on his head.

Kakashi wasn't sure he would keep his team alive.

* * *

><p>With Sasuke woken up ('You stupid emo bastard, wake up!'), Kakashi dragged them outside and decided to start the introductions.<p>

'Tell me your name, likes, dislikes, and what your dreams are.'

That Girl piped up. 'Shouldn't you start first?' Naruto nodded vehemently and Sasuke shrugged.

''kay. I'm Kakashi... I like stuff. I dislike stuff. My dreams are none of your damn business.' Sakura made a weird face and Naruto smiled.

'Okay! Me next! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! I like ramen! I don't like emo bastards, rats, or rodents. And I'm going to be Hokage one day! Or at least get better than Red-sensei!'

'Aren't "rats" and "rodents" the same thing?' Sakura questioned. Naruto's eyes steeled and he stared through her, as if remembering past events. Sakura shivered at how cold and unfeeling he looked.

'No. No they're not.'

Kakashi nodded and gestured to Sakura, who automatically snapped out of her haze. 'I'm Haruno Sakura... I like...' she looked to Sasuke and giggled, 'I don't like blonde idiots like Ino or Naruto. And I want to...' she looked to Sasuke but snapped her head back. 'I want to be a good kunoichi.'

The silver-haired jōnin turned to Sasuke, who was hunched over like an old man: brooding. 'You.'

'I am Uchiha Sasuke. I don't like many things, and I dislike a lot of things. I don't have a dream... More of an aspiration. It is to kill a certain man.'

A hushed silence fell over the gathered as his words stunned them into silence.

And then Naruto started laughing loudly.

'You? Mr I-Get-Knocked-In-The-Head-And-Faint? Ha, fat chance.'

Sasuke's eyes flashed and he glared at Naruto. Naruto glared back. Kakashi, sensing an impending fight, separated the two and smiled.

'Tomorrow, you three have another test.'

* * *

><p>Naruto was furious. 'We already passed one test! Why do we need to take another?'<p>

Kakashi lowered his voice. 'That test was to weed out those who had no chance at being a ninja. This one is to see those who actually _will_ become ninja. It has a sixty-six percent drop-out rate, so I'd get prepared.' The students nodded. 'Oh, and don't eat breakfast. You'll only puke it back up.'

Kakashi smiled and disappeared in a flurry of leaves.

* * *

><p>Sasuke approached Sakura, his cool aura preceding him and activating Sakura's fangirl-senses. She perked up immediately when he walked around the corner.<p>

'Sasuke-kun!'

'Hn.'

'It's so nice to see you, Sasuke-kun! Sit down!' she dabbled. Sasuke sat and watched her, his left eyelid twitching. _She's annoying..._

'Do you want... To talk about anything?' Sakura asked, fluttering her eyelids. Sasuke raised an eyebrow but eventually spoke.

'What do you think of Naruto?'

Her 'bubbly' attitude faltered for a moment but she bounced back immediately. 'He's smart, though he doesn't seem it. But he's still annoying and always getting in the way of my love for you!' She paused again before adding the icing to the cake. 'The strangeness is probably because he's the Kyuubi.'

Sasuke's eyes widened.

'I overheard my parents talking about it as the news of him graduating got out. They had a disagreement over it and my dad went away because of it for a while. But it makes sense. What a freak, huh?'

Sasuke stayed silent.

* * *

><p>They sat in a comfortable quiet, watching the calm lake.<p>

Sasuke was staring straight ahead, imagining his father's vaguely proud face as he mastered the Uchiha's signature jutsu.

Naruto was watching the nature, the birds that flitted so freely through the air. How he wished to be like them, to reach for the sky and to touch the clouds. That feeling, it must be amazing.

Though neither spoke a word, the feeling of having someone there was comforting to both.

* * *

><p>'How did your first day with your new sensei go?'<p>

'Pretty good,' Naruto answered, putting on a protective mitt and pulling the casserole out of the oven. 'I played a rather nasty trick on him.'

'Oh?'

'Yeah. Basic Henge on some Bunshin. Made it seem like we had been killed. It all served as a distraction so that an eraser would drop on his head.'

Red laughed. 'That's pretty drastic.'

'Probably,' said Naruto. 'I'm worried about my team, though.'

'How so?'

'Sasuke was going on about killing someone. From the sound of it, I believe it's Itachi- the one who killed his entire family,' Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment. 'I know that Sasuke wants revenge for him killing his clan. I just hope it doesn't drive him to do drastic things.'

Red nodded, turning around to eat the food Naruto had placed in front of him. Finishing quickly, he pulled his mask back into place and faced Naruto once more. 'What about the other person?'

'Sakura? She's infatuated with Sasuke, though I believe she has a least an inkling of substance. When she was speaking of her goals, something came over her. It was almost as if her love for Sasuke wavered for a second and her true feelings shone through. It might just be a lapse in judgment, however.'

'Hm.'

'That reminds me. There is one thing I regret.'

'What is it?'

'That I wasn't born with an "S" name. Then my team could have a cool codename.' Naruto nodded seriously but laughed with Red.

Eventually, the information he gathered today weighed down on him, demanding that he go to bed. Naruto cleared the table and washed the dishes before giving a half-salute to Red and heading upstairs.

Red sighed.

* * *

><p>As he settled into his bed, Naruto weighed the pros and cons.<p>

Sakura knew that - somehow - he was the Kyūbi. Sasuke was smart, but unless he overheard someone as well, he wouldn't be able to make the connection.

Should he tell Sasuke? If he did, then it could prevent Sasuke's anger later down the road for not being in on the secret. If he didn't, it could prevent Sasuke getting angry that he had something so strong inside of him, despite the fact he couldn't control it. (And hadn't even made contact with it.)

Naruto gripped his chest, imagining that sealed inside of his body there was a demon. A mass of chakra that had brutally murdered so many. He imagined a deep pit inside of him - a rank sewer - where the monster dwelled, watching out of Naruto's eyes. Did he want to warn his teammates of it so they could run away?

Or did he want to be selfish and cling to the thin bonds he had made with his newfound team?

Tossing it over and over again in his mind, Naruto fell into a troubled slumber.


	6. Food and Fun

When the birds began chirping and the sunlight began filtering in through his ratty curtains, Naruto awoke with a jolt.

Today was the day.

Today was the day.

Todaywastheday!

Glancing at his clock - which read exactly five - he surmised he only had three hours. Three hours to pour over his Academy workbooks, practice his taijutsu, and to refresh on his ninjutsu and chakra control.

_Three hours!_

* * *

><p>Running down the stairs, he automatically grabbed an energy bar and poured himself a glass of another of Red's drinks. This one tasted like chili peppers and bananas.<p>

He pulled the Academy books out of their respective places on his bookshelf that Red had gotten him two years ago. Pulling out a sheet of paper and a end-bitten pencil, he began to go over his terms.

_Chakra - combination of spiritual and physical energy that lets me use ninjutsu and genjutsu. If I use more of one, it can create different effects: like elemental types._

_Genjutsu - when the opponent's senses are captured by a jutsu. _

_Ninjutsu - using chakra to do techniques that would be impossible without._

_Taijutsu - hand-to-hand combat that doesn't usually require chakra._

Naruto muttered something about 'stupid studying', but he knew that this information would help him.

Eventually.

Hopefully.

...Probably not.

* * *

><p>As his timer went off, Naruto hopped up and ran down the stairs to the courtyard of his dismal apartment building. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he began molding chakra.<p>

_Focus on building chakra... Focus... Yellow, yellow, yellow..._

Naruto nodded sharply.

'_Henge no Jutsu!_'

_Almost. Less chakra._

'_Henge no Jutsu_!'

_A little more..._

'_Henge no Jutsu_!'

_Perfect! Now rebuild a different form, mass chakra..._

'_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!'

_I need ten, not fourteen. Focus, focus..._

'_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_!'

_Twelve. I need ten, ten, ten..._

'_Kage Bunshin no Jutsu_! Success!'

* * *

><p>An hour later, Naruto went for a jog around town, smiling brightly at anyone he passed. They smiled back at the short red head that they did not know, but felt a certain fondness for.<p>

As he was going down a familiar path, a certain brunette tackled him, a dog barking away next to him.

'Kiba!'

'Hey, Naruto! Congratulations!' Kiba grinned with his abnormally large canines, and his dog Akamaru smiled as well before continuing to yip away.

'Thanks! Hey... Do you guys have a test today?' Naruto questioned, worried if his friend was going to still be a ninja.

Kiba scrunched his nose up. 'What test?'

'What... What did your jōnin tell you yesterday?'

'Oh!' Kiba exclaimed, his confusion forgotten. 'We introduced ourselves and showed one of our jutsu! Shino - ya know, that bug creep - did this swarm thing with his bugs and Hinata showed us her Byakugan and me and Akamaru showed our Gatsūga!'

Naruto nodded. 'Well, my sensei made us introduce ourselves and then said to go prepare for a test today. So can we have a little battle?'

Kiba smiled darkly.

'Of course, Naruto.'

* * *

><p>(Kiba and Akaramaru ran home with their tails between their legs after the blonde beat them, scared of how many Narutos there had been.)<p>

* * *

><p>Hurrying home, Naruto threw himself into his bed, determined to restore his stamina. It would do no good if he was half-awake during a test.<p>

Too bad he didn't set an alarm.

* * *

><p>When Naruto finally awoke, groggy and disoriented, a glance to his bedside table worked like a bucket of cold water dumped on his face.<p>

It was almost ten! He was supposed to be there by now!

Grabbing a few bars and dashing out, Naruto ate while he ran.

* * *

><p>When he arrived, Sakura and Sasuke looked up in hope, only to find the boneheaded idiot.<p>

'What's wrong, guys? Did I miss the test?'

'No,' Sakura answered glumly. 'Kakashi-sensei is not even here.'

Sasuke snorted. 'Figures. I'm hungry.'

Naruto smiled. 'Well, I've got some food bars, if you guys want some...' His two teammates' heads snapped up. 'Here.'

* * *

><p>When Kakashi finally arrived, he was hoping to find three half-dead children: starving and bored.<p>

Instead, he found two rosey-cheeked children and a broody boy who all looked as if they had been fed and were entertained.

Kakashi was annoyed.

'Kakashi! _You're late!_'

'Yeah, yeah. I got lost helping an old lady save her kitten.'

'_Liar!_'

'_Anyway_,' Kakashi said, ending the argument. 'It's times for your test.'

Sasuke's moody attitude faded away as his competitive nature shown through. 'What is it?'

Kakashi pulled two bells from his pocket. 'Get one of these.'

'There's only...' Sakura began to say, when the realization hit her. She looked to Naruto and Sasuke, who both nodded.

'Correct. Only two of you will pass. One will fail and return to the Academy: if all of you don't. You must come at me like you're going to kill me, otherwise you will fail. The objective is to get a bell. You have until noon,' Kakashi said, pausing and staring into the eyes of all three of his subordinates. 'Begin.'

Three figures became a blur as they dashed off.

* * *

><p>'You know, my Red-sensei has a book like that.' Kakashi glanced up from his reading to see Naruto and Sasuke approaching him. They stood right in front of him, their shadows looming over him.<p>

'Mmm,' Kakashi muttered, raising an eyebrow.

'Yeah. I once thought about reading it, but thought it wasn't popular. I'd love to read it now.'

Fear seized Kakashi's throat. 'O-oh yeah?'

'Yeah,' Naruto said devilishly, licking his lips. And stretching out his hand to touch the book.

'_Arghh!_' Kakashi jumped back, afraid of his precious book being defiled by the brat's hands.

And he was now hanging from a tree.

'What did you-' Kakashi began, interrupted as Sasuke vanished in a plume of smoke. Naruto grinned.

'Silly sensei,' Naruto plucked a bell from Kakashi's pocket. 'Tricks are for kids.'

The silvette frowned, accidentally dropping his precious Come Come to the ground. He sobbed silently behind his cloth mask as Naruto ran away, giggling evilly.

* * *

><p>Freeing himself from the trap - twice - Kakashi began to stalk his other two students.<p>

* * *

><p>Sakura, as expected, was calling out for Sasuke, looking lost. Kakashi grinned. He could avenge his embarrassment by taking it out his anger on this girl.<p>

Casting a light genjutsu, he grinned as she shrieked and fainted at the sight of a dying Sasuke.

The metal of a kunai pressed against his throat.

'Give me a bell and you won't die.'

Kakashi whimpered and gave it to her.

* * *

><p>Angry, Kakashi stomped back to the logs.<p>

Only to find all three of his students smiling at him, each holding a bell.

_What._

'How did you-'

'You said we had to get a bell! You didn't say it hadn't to be one of yours!' Naruto shouted across the clearing. Kakashi clenched his fists. _Goddamn loop-holes._

'Fine. Sasuke, Sakura: help me strap Naruto to this pole.'

'W-what? I passed!' Naruto protested.

'Yeah?' Kakashi hissed, venom in his voice. 'And I don't like you.'

'No.'

Kakashi wheeled around, staring at the defiant Uchiha. '_Excuse me_?'

'He's my teammate. He helped me beat you. I won't let you tie him up,' Sasuke said as he fell into a fighting stance.

'Yeah!' Sakura said, nodding. 'You have to go through both me and Sasuke if you want to tie him down!'

'I won't let you hurt them,' Naruto growled.

Kakashi looked around at all three of his students, each ready to attack him if need be. Even if it cost them Genin status.

'You know what?' Kakashi said, lowering himself into a crouch.

The three children kept their eyes on him.

'You pass!'

* * *

><p>'Okay,' Naruto said, interrupting the silence. 'Please don't tell me this was a team exercise.'<p>

Kakashi nodded.

'Goddammit!' the blonde shouted. He began to pace.

'So...' Sakura began. 'We're ninja?'

'Yep!' Kakashi said with a clothed grin. 'You're ninja!'

'Cool!' she exclaimed, grinning to Sasuke. 'We passed!'

'We passed because of Naruto,' he said coldly, tracing the blonde's movements with his eyes.

Sakura paused. 'I guess we did.'

* * *

><p>Teuchi smiled at Naruto. 'My, you look hungry!'<p>

'I am!' Naruto answered. 'And I brought some more customers!' Sakura smiled and waved while Sasuke looked around with disdain.

'Naruto,' the boy glanced over, 'I thought you were taking us to eat.'

'This is food!' Naruto protested. 'It's delicious, right Ayame-chan?' The brunette girl nodded.

Sasuke sniffed. 'More like slop.'

There was a blur of movement.

He began to gasp for air, staring at Naruto's suddenly cold eyes.

'You will be quiet. You will eat what is given to you from the kindness of the people here. Is that understood?' When Sasuke didn't give any acknowledgment, Naruto pressed his arm harder against the boy's throat. 'Hmm?'

'Naruto!' Sakura shouted in fear. It seemed to bring him out of his trance and he stepped back, the fearsome aura replaced with his usual happy and bubbly self. Teuchi and Ayame's frowns directed at Sasuke faded away.

'Sorry 'bout that. Don't know what came over me. Here, free ramen for the two of you, 'kay?'

Sakura nodded vehemently and Sasuke did the same, rubbing his sore neck and fearing what would happen if he didn't.


	7. Monsters and Miso

'Uchiha! Again!'

Sasuke performed the hand seals once more, gathering chakra and-

'No! Those are the wrong hand seals! What's wrong with you, Sasuke? Sakura got it before you did.' Kakashi appeared annoyed, as if Sasuke were messing up on purpose. Sakura stood to the jōnin's left, looking worried. Naruto had wandered into the forest, muttering about bugs.

Sasuke turned his head to the side, refusing to meet his teacher's gaze.

Kakashi sighed, rubbing his forehead. 'Okay. I get it. You guys are dismissed. If you see Naruto, tell him I need to speak with him.'

It was only the second day since the three children had passed Kakashi's test, and already patience was thin and tensions were running high. Sakura was still completely devoted to Sasuke, who was devoted to Naruto, who didn't care about any of them.

Kakashi was stuck with three idiots that didn't know the first thing each other.

Disappearing into a flurry of leaves, Kakashi's second sigh was lost to the wind.

* * *

><p>As he walked home from what constituted as 'being talked down to and watching Naruto best you at everything', Sasuke fumed.<p>

He was an Uchiha.

His clan's name could not be soiled by his idiotic failure. To think, someone as unintelligent as Naruto would school him. How disgusting. How disgusted he was with himself.

Though he called Naruto an idiot, he knew how smart the boy was.

He hid it behind jokes and pranks and 'I was joking!'s and a slew of other covers. He hid who he was from Sasuke, despite baring his soul to him that day.

Sasuke had never realized how much people talked about the blonde.

Before, it had always been about him.

_He's an Uchiha..._

_Destined to be great..._

_Smart..._

And then _He_ came and destroyed everything, but Sasuke's name was still on their tongues.

_That poor boy..._

_The only survivor..._

_What a shame..._

So he would sit and act as if he couldn't hear their words, though they all reached him in some way or form. The whispers around him stayed strong, though he thought they would eventually stray.

And then he began listening in once more.

_He's so smart..._

_Genius..._

_Uchiha-level..._

To think, someone would deserve the name of _his_ clan! What spite, to give someone the honor, to be compared to him! Sasuke continued to listen in, to know just who this person could be.

_Naruto..._

_Naruto..._

_Naruto..._

The blonde? The dead last, the boy that no one paid any mind to if he wasn't doing something destructive? _Him_?

Sasuke began to watch him, to see just what would make any sane person hold him in such high regard.

He watched his scores. (Average.) He watched his popularity. (Average.) He watched his attentiveness. (Average.)

Just what made him so good?

And then Sasuke was sitting on the dock, watching the leaves gently land on the water, causing ripples that could stretch for infinity. He was remembering past times, when he was naive and innocent and nothing had happened.

His head had snapped up when he felt eyes on him, and it was _him_. The one that was supposedly of the same caliber as he was. He was watching Sasuke, those blue eyes like chunks of ice. Sasuke wanted to call out to him, to say that he was nothing because Sasuke was currently nothing.

He sat next to Sasuke, not saying a word, despite Sasuke's continuous pestering because he wanted to know _why_. He found his answer when the blonde smiled sadly, as if sharing his pain. He never had to say a word, and yet Sasuke could feel it.

He could feel what made Naruto so smart.

Soon enough, days passed and the glamor of this camaraderie fell away, exposing the bare-naked truth.

Naruto was so much stronger than he.

Despite how hard he trained, Naruto was right in front of him, spacing off and staring at the breeze. No matter what he did, Naruto had done it and done it five times better. It was no longer his name on the villager's tongues, it was Naruto: the boy that could not be stopped.

Sasuke kicked the rock a bit too hard and sent it sailing off into the ditch. Intent on continuing to unload his anger on the inanimate object, he slouched over to it, pulling his foot back and-

'Naruto!'

He paused, automatic fury welling inside of his chest as the flames of envy licked at his heart.

'I swear, he beat down that chūnin! There were thousands of him, all the same and all lookin' like they were going to kill something. I tell you! That boy's got smarts to rival all the clans, and power to boot!'

Sasuke finally shunted his rock out of the ditch, his sour mood continuing to darken as he made the arduous path home.

* * *

><p>Returning from his training session with his team and his meandering walk, Naruto gasped aloud as he was shoved face-first into the inside of the door to his apartment.<p>

'Just how stupid are you, kit?'

The blonde's mouth hung open at the words before he became nothing but smoke.

'Honestly,' Naruto muttered, arching an eyebrow at his sensei from across the room. 'Must you be so harsh to me?' The room chilled as Red turned to him and Naruto had to hold back a shiver. A bolt of fear shot through his stomach as Red's chakra flared.

'Why would you agree to that "test"?'

Naruto laughed, squinting his eyes and scratching the back of his head. 'S-sensei, it's no big deal-'

'"_No big deal"_?' Naruto went stock-still, his eyes downcast. 'I'm so disappointed.'

Naruto retched, clutching his belly as the words he had hoped to avoid were spoken.

Naruto eventually recovered his composure, answering with his head down. 'I apologize, Red-sama. Such a mistake in judgment will not happen again.' Red 'hurumph'ed, turned on his heel, and walked into the kitchen, wrenching open the fridge and pulling out the milk carton. Pouring himself a glass, he faced Naruto once more.

'So... Beat down a chūnin, eh?'

The young shinobi broke out into a grin.

'Ya could have told me. I would have brought a cake and stuff.'

* * *

><p>When Naruto awoke the next morning, Red was sitting in the rickety chair in the corner of his room and watching him.<p>

'Red-san,' Naruto said jokingly. 'That's creepy: even for you.' Red closed his book and walked over to Naruto bedside, his posture rigid.

'There's something we must discuss.'

Naruto's blue eyes hardened and he sat up. 'Does it concern the Kyūbi?'

'Yes.'

* * *

><p>'If I've got this correct... You want me someone to go into my head so I can meet the Kyūbi?' Red nodded seriously and Naruto tilted his head to the side. 'Huh.'<p>

'A trusted shinobi will be there to ensure that you don't die or go mentally insane,' Red said. Naruto waved his hand as if he hadn't even considered the possibility.

'So, who is this Inoichi person?'

* * *

><p>'This Inoichi person' was a scary man.<p>

He was thin and stood over a staggering six feet tall. Pure muscle rippled with every step he took, though obscured by his attire. He wore the standard flak jacket of a ninja above Genin level over a black outfit, complete with hand-guards and a sleeveless red coat.

Though his outer appearance was nothing spectacular, his blue-green eyes held such an intelligence that Naruto was astounded.

From what Red told him, Inoichi could delve into the minds of others. To go in so deep into the psyche of another person and still retain your mental composure...

Naruto was in awe.

'ANBU?' Inoichi questioned, regarding Red with narrow eyes. 'What do you want?'

'I have an order from the Hokage,' he answered, handing over a sealed scroll.

Inoichi opened it warily, reading the contents twice before staring good and hard at the blonde boy. After reading it once more, he reverted his gaze back to Red. 'This is insane.'

'This is necessary.' Inoichi's eyes switched to Naruto, who had decided to take the initiative. 'If I get set loose on the ninja world without a sliver of control over what is inside of me, there will be consequences. I cannot let that happen.'

Taking in Naruto's stance and fearsome expression, Inoichi laughed. 'I like this one; he reminds me of Minato. Do you even know what you are, child?'

Startled that he would be compared to _the_ Yondaime, Naruto answered the question. 'The jinchūriki of the Kyūbi no Yōko.'

'Good job,' Inoichi muttered, ruffling his hair. 'Well, if you have no objections, let's get searching!'

* * *

><p>Everything was white and nothing. It stretched on for infinity and Inoichi might have gotten lost in it if not for his training in such things. The jittering blonde to his right stilled.<p>

'Problem?'

'It's coming,' was all Naruto said.

A minuscule crack in the white appeared, slowly getting larger and larger. Jagged edges of white flew away from the hole, soaring past them and into the infinity. After what could have been no time at all and all the time ever, the tear became large enough for the two to fit through.

Though the color of the break should have been black, it was instead a pulsing purple with snippets of red running throughout.

Naruto went through first, followed closely behind by Inoichi.

* * *

><p>The rancid smell of sewage attacked Inoichi's nose.<p>

They were traveling along a narrow strip of concrete to their destination, green-brown waters of muck separating them. The path began to fill out, emptying into a large basin. Iron bars of a cage separated _something_ from getting out, a seal tag keeping the gate shut.

Red liquid was seeping into the water, dying it a bloody color. Naruto gestured for Inoichi to follow him into the knee-deep water and Inoichi complied, wading over to the blonde. They stood together in front of the bars, steeling themselves for what was inevitably ahead.

_**You dare bring someone else?**_

Inoichi didn't even bother looking around, instead staring straight ahead as the thing of his memories came into focus behind the bars.

It was huge. Thick and coarse-looking orange fur covered its head: the only part visible. Black lips were pulled back to expose impossibly-large canines that dripped with saliva and creating a sickening smile. Slit pupils stood in white eyes, red veins prominent. The malice that the thing gave off was sickening, and Inoichi could feel the urge to throw up threaten to overwhelm him.

_**Are you scared of me, brat?**_

Inoichi spared a glance to Naruto, who was shaking visibly. A grin slowly spread across the boy's face, and even the Kyūbi was taken aback, however slightly.

'As if, you stupid fox! I'm shaking in anticipation, waiting for all of that chakra to be mine!'

An eerie chortle resounded in the room, the monster's mouth wide open as he laughed.

_**I like you. You remind me of that girl who last had me.**_

Naruto froze. _Someone else was the gaoler of the Kyūbi?  
><em>

_**What do you want? Just a little peek at my magnificence?**_

Naruto shot a look to Inoichi and the man nodded. 'You're now under my control!'

The Kyūbi's grin stretched. _**Oh yeah?**_

'Yeah! I'm letting you live in my body, so you gotta do what I say!'

It looked thoughtful. _**And if I say no?**_

'I'll kill myself.'

Its eyes widened. _**You're kidding.**_

'I'm not,' Naruto said truthfully. 'If I can't control you, I can't risk having you destroy those close to me. So I'll just eliminate you.'

The Kyūbi laughed. _**Alright. I might as well have fun with you.**_

Naruto nodded sharply, and turned on his heel to head back out.

_**But...**_ Naruto turned around. _**I am a fox. Don't doubt that I'll leave you when you need me.**_

Naruto's eyes hardened. 'You won't.'

It laughed loudly, and that was the last thing Inoichi heard before he was yanked back into the real world.

* * *

><p>Naruto's eyes snapped open, and he turned to Red. 'I saw it.'<p>

'I know,' Red answered, pointing to a heaving Inoichi. 'He saw it too.'

'Mmmm,' Naruto murmured sleepily. 'I'm hungry. You gonna treat me to ramen?'

'Why not,' Red said, a smile in his words.

* * *

><p>As they settled into the booth, Ayame smiled. 'Hello, Naruto! Red.'<p>

'Ayame-chan! I need some miso beef ramen, please!' Naruto shouted, smiling.

'Right away, sweetie,' the girl answered, turning around and starting to cook the noodles.

'How did you find out about Mizuki, Red-san?' Naruto questioned, turning to smile at his sensei.

'Iruka was drunk this afternoon.'

'No way!' Naruto hollered, disturbing several a passerby. When Red shrugged, Naruto began giggling before it became full out laughter, clutching at his teacher's sleeve as he tried to prevent himself from falling over.

Sparing a look to the progress of the food, Red voiced what was on his mind as his student calmed down.

'What did it look like?' Red asked.

Naruto looked confused before he realized what Red was talking about. 'It was pretty huge! And it was kinda scary! But it was like a little kitten, compared to how scary I thought it was going to be!'

_Inoichi was sick to his stomach after seeing it. How is it possible for him to be so...Comfortable?_ Red internally questioned. He glanced to the boy next to him, whose steaming dish had been placed in front of him. The blonde grinned widely and dug into his meal with gusto.

_Naruto... You just might be something._


End file.
